CHILDREN from Tavistock have learned the skills to save a life, via a partnership between St John Ambulance and Babcock International Group.

More than 4,000 pupils from 118 schools, including Tavistock College, St Peter’s Church of England Primary and the primary schools in Mary Tavy and Brentor, Gulworthy, Lamerton and Milton Abbot have been trained by experts from the nation’s leading first aid charity, thanks to funds from the UK’s principal engineering support services company.

JJ Bowley, Babcock’s director of education services, said: ‘Ensuring children and young people at such a young age are equipped with the skills to save lives is a tremendous thing and the quality of training they get is amazing.

‘Through our sponsorship with the St John Ambulance team we have helped 4,129 pupils across Devon receive these life-saving skills and they will be able to take what they’ve learned out into the community.’

Babcock LDP (Learning and Development Partnership) works in partnership with Devon County Council to deliver education improvement and support services across more than 350 schools. The company’s staff have also been raising funds for St John Ambulance.

‘Our own employees, who have collectively raised £50,000 over the past year, also deserve a mention of praise as they’ve been working behind the scenes to make a difference, so this really is a true partnership in action,’ Mr Bowley said.

St John Ambulance’s target was to train 3,500 children in skills such as resuscitation (which includes the primary survey, the recovery position and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) plus how to treat choking, shock, burns and scalds, fainting and chest pains.

Steve Hargreaves, regional director for St John Ambulance in the South West, said: ‘We’re delighted to have exceeded our target, because this partnership with Babcock has helped us with our mission to create a generation of life savers. ‘This project will benefit communities all over Devon, where any of the young people we’ve trained could be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.’

For more information on St John Ambulance’s work, including how to become a volunteer and details of training for the public, schools and businesses, visit the www.sja.org.uk or call 08700 10 49 50.